Where We Finally Leave It: Glory Days
by Earthling
Summary: All good things come to an end.......or do they?


Amanda stepped off the elevator behind her sister.  
"I don't know why you're so worried about it, Cass" Rick, their brother, sais as he followed his sisters through the cooridors. The twin's older sister sighed.  
"I just don't know that we're ready for it" she replied. Amanda and Richard both stopped, and Cass was obliged to stop and turn.  
"We have spent our entire lives working for this!" Amanda said passionately.  
"The Asgard have helped and agree we're at a point where we could handle it." Rick added. Cassandra Katari Carter-O'Neill looked at her siblings dreamily. They didn't look anything like each other, for being twins and all. Richard resembled their father, especially now with his salt and pepper hair and hooded brown eyes. Amanda was a replica of her mother, she even had the same smile. They rarely agreed on anything completely, Amanda beinga realist and Richard the eternal optimist. They made a good team though, they always had. Rick had followed his father, and now ran the entire Stargate program, after years of off world experience and more than a few close alien friends. Amanda had logged almost as much off world time, but as a bright young emissary, rising quickly to the rafters of the political game. She was the second female president ever elected, and had succeeded in uniting the nations of Earth into a sort of planetary government that was still learning to crawl. They had both put their inherited talents to good use, Amanda her telepathy, Richard his telekinesis, and Cass couldn't be prouder of them. But this plan of their worried her. The Asgard, the Nox, the Tok'ra, they all agreed. But Cass feared.  
She smiled indulgently at her sister and brother.  
I know, Manny, Chards she shook her head, "I'm just paranoid" she told them, "C'mon, let's go see Mom and Dad" The two followed, as they always had, and always would.  
" Your daughter and Makara sent their apologies, but they're tied up in the Tok'ra Council. Everything else is ready, Doctor" the man at the controls said. Cass had never gone into the military. She smiled graciously at the lieutenant as the brillant blue light she knew so well filled the gateroom. She and her siblings stepped through the stargate, and felt the familiar rush.  
The gate area on Chulak was quiet in the early morning. Soon there would be all sorts of vendors and shoppers to fill the area, and the gate would be busy with exporting and importing of goods from all over the galaxy. But the only reception the siblings got was four faces they knew well.  
"Tik!" Cass hugged her tall, broad, Jaffa friend. His years were starting to show more, for all the he'd had almost 200 of them.  
"Mom" Cass smiled and moved on to her dear mother, who was once again overjoyed to see her children.  
"Uncle Danny!"  
"I was wondering if I'd get one of those" her uncle and teacher squeezed her.  
"Aunt Janet?" Amanda asked from Teal'c's embrace.  
"She's at the house" Daniel replied, "She doesn't get around as well, you know" And indeed they did.  
"Hey, weasel" Jack said softly into his oldest daughter's hair as she hugged him last.  
Hi, Daddy she said and added a quick kiss. He stood her back from him and looked into her eyes.  
What's wrong, Cassi, baby? Of all the assorted non-talented family, he was the only one who had learned to think specific thoughts hard enough for her to hear without listening for them specifically. Janet was convinced it had something to do with their already strong psychic link. Cass smiled tiredly.  
Same old arguement she answered. He gave her hand a quick squeeze.  
It's their world now he reminded her, and saw the hidden tear in her eyes.  
"Hey! I'm telepathic, you know. I can tell when you do that!" Amanda complained. Cass threw her a look.  
Ah, sweety, Amanda could feel a light touch on her cheek, like the soft caress of a mother's hand, You never could hear what you shouldn't.  
The younger sister got the impression that Cass had kept a great many harmful things from her in her life, especially as a child, and now too. She knew there were other things Cass held captive, secret in that powerful head of hers. Cassi, a good 17 years older than the twins, had always been like a second mother when they needed it, even though she had often been out on the same missions their parents were.  
The family started slowly back toward the houses, as the years, despite rejuvs from the Nox at the bequest of the Asgard, had caught up to the original SG-1. They filtered through woods they had been chased and hunted through, more than once. Teal'c ran the planet, the Jaffa "homeworld" now. When the time had come, not so many years ago, both the Jackson's (Daniel and Janet) and the O'Neill's (Jack and Sam) had decided to retire near their good friend. Teal'c was training his son R'yac to take his place. All of their families, including Cassie Fraiser and her kids, Cassi's daughter, and Amanda and Richards' kids, would be joining them soon, right down to the newest, fourth generation, Cassi's granddaughter Shau'ri. Great grandchildren for the pioneers of space with love and wisdom and a thousand adventures together emblazoned on their hearts. But the morning was just for them. Just for them.  
  
Janet and Drey'auc gossiped at the counter, preparing the feast. Daniel and Teal'c discussed matters of state in the den adjacent to the kitchen, where Sam sat with her youngest two, peeling potatoes. The loud chuckle of their father drew the twins' attention. He and Cassi were outside, moving tables under the tent they had erected. Jack was laughing at something his daughter had said in his head. Richard shook his head and an ancient grudge escaped Amanda's lips in the form of an accepting sigh.  
"Mom?" she started, keeping her eyes on her potatoe, "Did you ever get jealous?"  
"Of Cass and your father?" Sam smiled inwardly, "Everyone feels like a third party around them" She stopped her peeling and considered her husband and daughter, "There's something that binds them, stronger than anything I know. Stronger than love" Amanda and Rick were surprised by that last comment, but their mother was adrift in her own thoughts so they said nothing.  
"It's almost as if they were made for each other, instead of one from the other. I'll certainly never understand it, but I know.....I know that the way they are doesn't mean they mean to exclude me, or that they love me any less. It's just something in them" She smiled at her daughter understandingly and went back to peeling potatoes.  
Outside, Father and Daughter laughed in unison.  
  
The Reunion was a festivity all of the Family members would cherish forever. Children chased dogs around tables and fires, the telekinetics having throwing contests and the telepathics playing hide and seek. The adults swapped old stories and new laughter, there was music and high spirits all day and well into the night. Finally, though, the children were put to bed and the younger adults followed. Only the "Core" family (Sam, Jack, Teal'c, Daniel, Janet, Cassi, Cassie, Amanda and Richard [the General having passed on some years before]) were left around the fire, all silent. Eventually, Cassie, Amanda and Rick got up and found their beds. Janet followed shortly. The five SG-1 members sat silently together for a while. When the time was right, Cassi too left.  
Sam looked at Jack, Jack at Teal'c, Teal'c at Daniel, and Daniel at Sam. They smiled, one last glory day had passed. And they knew.  
  
Epilouge  
Gen. Jack O'Neill, Colonel Samantha Carter-O'Neill, Dr. Daniel Jackson, and Jaffa leader Teal'c, all died peacefully in their sleep, June 27th of 2065, Earth year. Dr. Janet Fraiser-Jackson followed a week later, and Dr. Cassandra Carter-O'Neill two weeks after that.  
President Amanda O'Neill, Gen. Richard O'Neill, Dr. Cassie Fraiser, and Dr. Katari O'Neill, the eldest survivors, did not mourn. Only they knew where those six had really gone.........  
  
Somewhere among the acended  
For cryin out loud, don't those people learn? We figured that out years ago on P-34R2!  
Apparently, Jack, that's ancient history.  
Ancient history! Daniel, if I didn't know better I'd say you want them to mess up!  
Oh, Jack, leave him alone. He's right, they need to figure it out themselves.  
Why should they have to go through, the pain, Mom? Dad's right, we did figure that out years ago, if they'd only read the reports they'd know!  
  
Human biology has improved over the years. The reports might not be valid anymore.  
To who's side do you belong, Doctor?  
Teal'c, you may be Ascended, but you still crack me up!  
It was not my intention to be funny, Cassi.  
We know, Teal'c, we know................  
  
And they will always be there, carefully watching over the universe 


End file.
